


Just Business

by Reidluver



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Guardians of the Galaxy - All Media Types
Genre: Ego is a manipulative bastard, Emotional Manipulation, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Ravager Family, Slavery, Teen Kraglin, like hell he found Mantis 'orphaned', poor Yondu, writing in Ego's POV makes me sick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-11-07 20:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11066097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reidluver/pseuds/Reidluver
Summary: Convincing a Ravager to deal in kids was supposed to be impossible. Luckily for him, Ego was skilled at convincing lesser beings to do what he wanted. Once he found the Ravager Captain’s weakness, the rest was all too easy.





	1. Target Found

**Author's Note:**

> Because I highly doubt Yondu would just break the Ravager code for some extra units. Ego is a manipulative bastard, and poor Yondu didn’t stand a chance.

Ego found his next target.

Mercenaries, smugglers, bounty hunters . . . he’d hired so many different people over the vast millennia of his existence. Some were better than others, but they never lasted long. Sure, they did the job and delivered his progeny, but the kids were more or less traumatized by the journey.

It forced Ego to expend additional effort into calming the children down. That in itself wasn’t an issue. Patience was a necessary virtue of his existence. There wasn’t a profound urgency to introducing them to the Light.

But the matter took a toll on him. Especially coupled with the fact it appeared none of his offspring could properly connect to the Light. Of course, there had been some that were close. So beautifully close, he could taste his plan’s completion. But time after time, he was disappointed.

Statistically, the Celestial gene _had_ to be passed down. Eventually. Odds were it had, but the kids just weren’t strong enough. So many inferior races across the galaxy. But perhaps emotional imbalance could account for their stunted connection to the Light.

So when Ego learned of a race that could control emotions, well—he set out immediately. After selecting a member of the species to copulate with, he “liberated” a different couple of their larva.

He made it look like an accident. Falling from a cliff like that, no one would expect to find the child among the wreckage.

He named it Mantis. It was the word for “useful” in her specie’s language. Not that the child would ever know.

A bonus ability of the species was that the child could help him sleep. The worry about his Expansion bothered him at night. Made him restless. Having Mantis provide some relief was quite welcome.

Once her abilities manifested, his children improved. Not all of them could connect to the Light, but the ones that could lasted longer. It proved his theory was correct.

But it still wasn’t enough.

It had to be the journey. He needed a secondary party to deliver the children. It helped avoid drawing too much attention to his plan or his planet. While Ego was the only eternal being he knew of, some races did have life expectancies in the thousands. And with the galaxy’s formation of advanced government, all it took was one nosy person to notice a pattern.

He’d be able to handle whatever they threw at him of course, but they could make his job difficult. Subtly was his greatest asset.

So what he needed as a professional. An expert thief.

What he needed was a Ravager.

Unfortunately, for all their questionable morality, they refused to work in children. Ego supposed they had to draw a line somewhere. But after years of waiting, he’d finally found the perfect Ravager for the job.

“Your cooperation has been appreciated,” Ego said. He waved his hand at the Xandarian frozen in place beside him. The female dissolved into nothingness.

Ego withdrew his holopad from the computer’s access port. With the press of a button, the entire system fizzed and shorted out to blackness. The Nova Corps would never know what file had been downloaded, and the technician’s disappearance would remain a mystery.

The journey home would be a long one. Ego settled into a comfortable position and held up the holopad. He smiled as he tapped the face of the personnel file.

_Yondu Udonta._

The perfect Ravager for the job.

All there was left to do was set the bait.


	2. Setting the Bait

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took FAR longer than I anticipated. Delving into Ego's psyche was both labor intensive and unpleasant. I feel he would have quite a detached and almost sociopathic view of the universe. Also, after being alive for millennia and elevating himself above all other sentient life, this guy does a LOT of introspection.

_Three months later_

Trading post on Tirali's Fourth Moon

Ego chewed the _ch'lasp_ meat slowly, cataloging the texture and spices. To pass time back on his planet, Ego would challenge himself to recreate objects or food he encountered on his travels. While he didn't need to eat outside his mortal form, Mantis and his children did. He’d found that exposing them to new foods improved their compliance. Plus, if he were being honest with himself, Ego enjoyed the occasional indulgence in food. 

Even now, centuries later, maintaining a physical form hadn't lost its novelty. He supposed it partly had to do with the fact that he'd spent far more time as a disembodied existence and then a planet, but it was more because there were so many physical forms he could assume. For all their numerous faults, the vast species across the galaxy were fascinating in their own right. 

Ego finished off his meal and washed it down with some Krylorian brandy. Everyone would all be destroyed in the Expansion of course, but they kept his interest for the time being. Observing the lesser species of the galaxy, manipulating his form to theirs, and perfecting his technique kept the madness at bay. 

If he didn't keep his mind occupied then it—

The emptied cup erupted in a burst of Light. There was a curse and clattering behind him, but Ego paid it no heed. Instead he took a steadying breath. He would find the child he needed eventually. He _had_ to. And he wasn't sure how or why, but Ego knew this Yondu Udonta would play a key role in that. 

A server appeared at his side and muttered apologies that Ego ignored. When they left, Ego glanced at his sleeve and noted there were a few drops of brandy on it. Ego wiped them away with the napkin on his lap. Today his appearance required sophistication and wealth. To play the part, he chose a Xandarian form. They weren't a flashy race and lent a sense of ambiguity to Ego's purposes. It allowed him to be seen but not remembered by any passerby. 

He focused his gaze to the marketplace street. The ship port was down the alley to his right. Yondu was due any moment now, after meeting with a merchant he had frequent dealings with. Ego had persuaded the merchant to request Yondu for her next shipment. Upon delivery, the merchant would then direct Yondu to Ego's table to discuss another offer. The merchant was paid to stress the importance of meeting with Ego. 

A complicated plan to arrange a simple meeting, but this arrangement was not to be taken lightly. Ego had to _convince_ Yondu. It was the only viable option. While he could use Mantis to make Yondu more compliant, Ego didn't know how long-lasting the girl's effects would be. What if it wore off and Yondu abandoned the job? 

Using force was also out of the question. Threatening a Ravager was a fool's decision. Not that Ego couldn't destroy them if he wanted to, but what good would killing Yondu do for the Expansion? 

No, what he needed to do was earn Yondu's trust, or at least respect. Receiving a recommendation by an old business partner was a strong first step. Then Ego would prove he had money to spare for the job. After that, it was time to exploit the man's weakness. 

Some drunken mortals passed, whooping and singing off-key. Ego grimaced at the sound. It made him long for Meredith's angelic voice. For such a primitive planet, Terra was home to the most remarkable mortal Ego ever had the pleasure of meeting. It was fascinating how her beauty and charm surpassed the centuries of royalty and exotic species Ego had met before. Not long ago, he paid a second visit to Terra; to Meredith. He wished to observe how his progeny was progressing and left in high spirits. 

The offspring Meredith produced was something Ego could be proud of. The infant was healthy and a fine specimen for its species. Of all the children he sired, Ego held the strongest hope that Peter would be the one to carry the Celestial gene. How fitting would it be for the child of his beloved River Lily to provide the energy needed to end his loneliness?

Which is why it was so imperative that Yondu accept his offer. Ego couldn't afford any foul-ups with Meredith's child. There were still a few years left until Peter reached the age where his abilities could be ascertained. Yondu required a few trial runs before then.

A bark of laughter carried over the marketplace din. It was a voice Ego recognized from the criminal holo-vids he took from the Nova Corps. It only took Ego a moment to locate the source. 

Yondu Udonta. An unruly and unpleasant mortal for sure, but the perfect tool for Ego's purposes. 

It would take the man a few minutes to reach the café, so Ego took the time to observe him. It had been some time since Ego had last seen a Centaurian. When he first sired a child of the species, decades upon decades ago, the planet's inhabitants had just perfected interplanetary travel. The planet housed a species whose culture was a fascinating blend of primitive and civilized, but it was their physiological connection with the yaka metal that held Ego's interest. 

He had hoped a Centaurian's predisposition to manipulate energy would increase the odds of his offspring controlling the Light. Ego mated with numerous members of the species over time _(the highest rate of any so far)_ but none of the children survived. Their survival was above average, but not high enough. 

This only added to the list of reasons why he needed Yondu. Exposing his offspring to Yondu's abilities could awaken their minds to what Ego's Celestial genes were capable of. Perhaps some might define that as "grasping at straws" _(to coin a Terran phrase)_ but Ego was beyond the point of caring. The Expansion was all that mattered, and Ego was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen. 

There was a small figure trailing after Yondu, and Ego smiled. It was the Kree slave Yondu liberated some two years ago. Rather than leave the child to fend for itself, Yondu took it aboard as a Ravager at only eleven years Standard. 

An usual move for a Ravager for sure, but given Yondu’s history it didn’t raise questions. The Centuarian himself had been freed from the Kree and subsequently made a Ravager. Why wouldn’t he do the same for another?

Fortunately for Ego, that decision increased Yondu's usefulness even further. Despite being a new captain, his crew was already used to a child on board. Ego knew they wouldn’t ask too many questions. Especially not when they learned how much Ego would pay for their services.

Yondu and the child arrived at the café’s entrance. A waiter spoke to them for a moment, then pointed in Ego’s direction. Ego waved and grinned broadly when Yondu’s gaze fell upon him. This was it. 

A quiver of excitement coursed through Ego. In the past, all Ego had to do was flash units at his hires and they wouldn't bat an eye. Acquiring Yondu would prove a far more delicate operation. Ego had to both win Yondu over with sincerity while threatening him in the same breath. All without him realizing it. 

It was puzzling, but mortals placed great importance on body language, subtle gestures, and expressions. For this to work, Ego had to control himself perfectly.

Yondu stopped at Ego’s table, thumbs hooked into his belt. “Salzon said you had a job,” he said. His voice carried the rasp often found in species whose vocal chords weren’t meant to speak in Standard. When Ego visited Centauri-IV, he only spoke in the chirps and whistles that made up the Centaurian language. 

“Yes. My name's Ego, Mr. Udonta. Pleasure to meet you.” He gestured to the other seats. “Please sit down.” Ego waved a waiter over and had Yondu order some drinks. 

Yondu gestured to the child once the waiter left. “Teachin’ the boy how to negotiate with a client. Hope ya don’t mind.” 

“Oh, not at all!” Ego didn’t even have to lie. He beamed at the child. “What’s your name, young man?” he asked, careful to appear warm and friendly. He mimicked the look doting fathers had on children they interacted with that were not their own. 

The child _(Xandarian by the looks of it)_ puffed its chest proudly. “Kraglin.” Ego kept up the smile instead of turning his nose like he wished he could. The child was a gangly, scrawny thing that didn’t belong in a group of Ravagers. Why Yondu saw fit to keep it was a mystery to Ego. But Ego needed to play the part of a loving father, so he pretended to care. 

He turned his attention back to Yondu. “When Salzon told me how pleased she’s been with your service, I knew you were just the person to hire.”

“Did she now?” Yondu leaned back in the chair with just enough slouch to appear disinterested but respectful at the same time. Ego wondered if this was some sort of business strategy. Did Yondu wish to drive Ego to desperation to negotiate a better deal? A tactic that worked on lesser beings no doubt, which Ego was anything but. The fact that Yondu agreed to meet him in person was telling enough. This negotiation would be settled on Ego's terms, not Yondu's. 

Ego fought the urge to chuckle. How satisfying this venture would be! “You’re just the man I’m looking for,” he said instead.

Yondu scratched at his chin. “So what kinda cargo are ya lookin’ to transport?” The waiter returned with their drinks and Yondu drank some of his eagerly. 

“The job is more along the lines of ferrying," Ego said, "and a promise for future business. You see, I have a child who’s currently living on Kulfalra.” He pulled out a holopad with a picture of her and placed it on the table. “I just received word that her mother passed away and I need you to—”

"Look.” Yondu set his drink down and raised a hand. “Y'must be new to the business, but Ravagers don' deal with kids." 

"But I—what about him?" Ego gestured to the child beside him, taking care to raise the pitch of his voice and turn his expression into a pleading one. 

Yondu snorted. "Can'tchu see?" He pointed to the emblem on the boy's jacket. "Kraglin's a Ravager. It ain't the same." 

Ego leaned forward with a crestfallen expression. "You don't understand, I need you to bring me my daughter!" He glanced from side to side as if expecting someone to listen in on the conversation. "She’s not safe on her own," he whispered. "If anyone discovers what she is, they'll take her." 

"Mmhmm." Yondu picked at some dirt underneath his fingernail. A futile effort, in Ego's opinion. Ravagers weren’t known for their hygiene.

Ego lowered his voice. "I'm a Celestial." 

The boy beside him furrowed its brow but Yondu barked out a laugh. "That's a mighty grand claim there.” His lips curled back to show— _Celestials above!_ —jagged silver teeth. These Ravagers were savages. “Care t'prove it?" 

Ego pretended to contemplate the request. He had assumed Yondu would ask for proof, and he’d already decided on the perfect solution. "Um, how about this?" Ego closed his eyes and focused inward. He thought of his form on the molecular level and adjusted the DNA accordingly. 

It felt like squeezing his body through a slit in foam. When his new form settled, he was pleased to hear both Yondu and the child gasp. 

Ego opened his now red eyes and beamed amicably at Yondu. The captain was gaping at Ego as if he were a ghost, which is exactly what Ego wanted. 

He was no longer a Xandarian, but a flesh and blood Centaurian. Yondu's eyes flickered to Ego's natural fin with a broken longing, and Ego lowered his gaze. 

"Oh, I didn't mean—I'm so sorry." Ego brushed back the fin and it rippled to a small stub. He looked at Yondu again, his face morphed into a perfect chagrined expression. "I only meant to prove my abilities." 

Yondu swallowed thickly and composed himself. "An impressive trick t'be sure,” he said, “but that don't prove yer a Celestial. Any shapeshifter could do that." 

Ego shook his head. "Shapeshifters only mimic form. I've changed on the molecular level." 

"Well ain't _that_ convenient, seeing as how we don't got any fancy tech to check your claim."

Ego lifted an eyebrow and whistled. There was a humming in his skull and the yaka arrow in Yondu's holster twitched. Yondu’s chair screeched as he staggered to his feet. He gaped at Ego in thinly veiled horror. The child stood as well, hand at its side as if reaching for a weapon.

How interesting.

Ego fought back the smirk that was itching on his lips and instead appeared apologetic. "You know as well as I do that a shapeshifter can't do that," he said softly. The yaka arrow was soul-bound to Yondu, but when not directly in his control, Ego could nudge it. 

A few moments passed before Yondu sighed and sat back down as if nothing had happened. He waved at the child to follow suit. As they settled in, Ego graciously changed back into a Xandarian. 

“Guess you ain’t lyin’ then,” Yondu said, his voice hoarse. He folded his arms as if to continue an aloof front.

“So you see why my daughter, and any future children of mine, are in danger?” Ego blinked as he forced his eyes to water. “The universe is full of horror stories where children are taken for their abilities and tortured into monsters.” Yondu’s eye twitched at Ego’s careful wording, but the child had less control. Its entire body flinched. 

“Why don’t you go an’ fetch the kids yerself?” Yondu said with a drawl. He lowered his folded arms and made to rest the palms at his knees, but Ego noted how his hand brushed against the child’s. And more importantly, how the brief interaction calmed the boy. “Aren’t Celestials all mighty an’ powerful?”

“It’s more complicated than that, I’m afraid,” Ego said. Now came the difficult part. He never had to reveal his lineage to the other hires, but in this instance Ego needed to make a point. Yondu had to understand that Ego was not a force to be trifled with. Unfortunately, revealing this part of himself offered the chance for more scrutiny. “This form you see before you is merely a projection. I have to return to my planet regularly to gather my strength or—”

“But you traveled to the planets,” the child said, its eyes sharp and narrowed. “You went there t’meet the mothers so why don’t you jus’ go back and get ‘em?” Ego blinked at the child despite himself. While he had anticipated the question, he wouldn’t have imagined the boy to have asked it. Or to have the gall to interrupt him with it. 

If this Xandarian managed to undo months of planning . . .

Yondu’s grin flashed silver. “Look a’that! I knew ya had a good head on yer shoulders, boy!” Ego took note of the tint of blue that appeared on the boy’s cheeks.

“As I was just about to explain,” Ego said, “I need to return to my planet—my true form—to recharge. When I travel I have only enough energy to power my ship, maintain a mortal form, and interact with a planet’s inhabitants for a few days. If my child is in danger I won’t be able to protect them.” It was only partially true, but it was all Yondu needed to know. 

A few moments of silence passed as Yondu stared at him critically. “Y’mean to say . . . you’re an actual planet?” he asked. 

Ego chuckled. “I assume you’ve been to Knowhere, yes?” he asked. “Why is it so hard to believe a Celestial could also be a planet?”

Yondu thought for a moment, then shrugged. Given the nomadic lifestyle Ravagers had, chances were the man was used to all manner of strange things. “Well, I believe you, but I’m sorry. I can’t break the code.” He slid the holopad back to Ego with a genuine look of apology. “You’ll have to fetch your kids yerself.” He stood up and motioned for the child to do the same. “Thanks for the drinks, Mr. Ego.”

Ego stumbled to his feet and hovered by the table anxiously. “Are you sure you won’t reconsider?” 

There was a moment’s pause, but Yondu shook his head. “’Fraid not. Tell ya what though,” _(he typed a few numbers into the holopad)_ “if ya ever need someone to transport somethin’ that ain’t kids, feel free t’give us a call.” 

“I . . . thank you,” Ego said, in a dejected but resigned tone. He stared at the holopad in defeat and slumped into his chair. After a moment, he chanced a glance at the pair as they retreated, and caught the child’s eye. It flashed him a sad smile and waved good-bye. Ego returned the gesture, congratulating himself all the while. 

The entire meeting had turned out better than he planned. Now all there was left to do was find his associate and make a few alterations. 

By this time tomorrow, Yondu would be his. 

\--

From what Ego gathered, Yondu’s Ravagers typically docked between 3-5 days at whatever planet or space port they had business at. This allowed them to gather new supplies, take care of any repairs, and give the crew a chance to engage in whatever they deemed as relaxing. At least, unless something chased them off, like the local law enforcement, a dissatisfied customer, a rival party . . .

. . . or rumors of Kree slavers hell-bent on recapturing freed slaves. 

Ego sat at the café the next morning, this time in full view of the ship port and street. Yondu wouldn’t be able to leave without him knowing. It felt as if the very air thrummed with excitement. Soon Ego’s plan would come to fruition. 

A cluster of red emerged from the crowd, and Ego strained his ears to listen. “—got an hour to get their asses to the ship,” Yondu said to a bearded man beside him. The Centaurian’s shoulders were tense and a scowl was etched on his face. “If they ain’t here by then we’re leavin’ without ‘em.” 

The bearded man pounded his chest twice. “Aye Cap’n.” He took off the other way, leaving Yondu and the boy from yesterday. 

The Xandarian child was standing so close to Yondu it was practically hiding inside his coat. “Y-Y’don’t think them Kree are _actually_ here, d’ya, Cap’n?”

Ego watched as Yondu pursed his lips for a moment. “If they are, all they’re gonna get is an arrow through their skull.” 

The child raised its arm and something glinted in its fist. “Or my knives in their throat!” 

Yondu laughed. “There ya go, boy!” He shoved the child playfully. “Now let’s try callin—”

“Mr. Udonta!” Ego ran toward them, a single-minded desperation in his posture. It was time to finish the deal. 

“You again?” Yondu faced him with a grimace. “Y’sure are persistent. Look, I told you I ain’t interested.” 

“Please, I’m begging you!” Ego grasped Yondu’s coat with both hands. “I’ll . . . I’ll add another fifty-thousand units! Please, if you would just—”

Yondu seized the front of his shirt and yanked him sideways. For a moment, Ego wondered if he had underestimated the man’s temper. Then Yondu steadied him and a voice rang out in the silenced market street. 

“That was a warning, Udonta!”

Right. Ego turned toward the blue-skinned Kree purist standing across the street. His “associate” was right on time, though Ego didn’t appreciate being shot at. He supposed it couldn’t be helped though, seeing as how he manipulated the Kree in an entirely different form. 

“What kinda Kree fires a warning shot?” Yondu picked at his teeth, the picture of calm indifference aside from the exposed arrow holster at his hip. The child placed itself in front of Ego, knees bent with its hands hovering near some pockets. A child, protecting him? How laughable. 

“If y’ask me, it seems like you Kree have gone soft,” Yondu continued. The once busy streetway was parted in a circle. It wasn’t wise to stand between a Kree and their target. 

The Kree sneered, keeping his blaster leveled at Yondu’s chest. “Or perhaps I don’t wish to ruin the merchandise.” 

Yondu froze at that, his implant glowing and humming. _“Merchandise?”_ he repeated, his tone low and murderous. Several onlookers took that as a cue to flee. 

“You were helpful to the Empire once before,” the Kree said, inching closer, “and you will be so once again. If you value your life then you’ll come with me.” 

Yondu spat at ground in front of the Kree. “I value my life all right, which is exactly why I’ll be takin’ yours!” He pursed his lips but stiffened when the Kree abandoned his blaster for a gun that was slung across his back. 

It was a black weapon the length of the Kree’s forearm. The grip was coiled with various skulls etched into the surface. It had a clawed muzzle that pulsed with yellow sparks. Rather showy and ridiculous in Ego’s opinion, but it served its purpose.

“I take it you haven’t forgotten what this is?” The Kree’s voice burst with sadistic glee. The child in front of Ego gasped, its tiny form trembling. Perfect. Ego had hoped it would be familiar with the weapon as well. 

Everything would go according to plan. 

Yondu took a step forward, his arrow forgotten. "How in the ruttin' hell did you get yer hands onna Thromedinen Burst?" His words, while furious, were laced with fear. Ego wondered if Yondu was even aware of it. 

“There are still a handful or so stowed away on our slave ships,” the Kree said. “Now I suggest you come with me before—” 

Ego had heard enough. He received the confirmation he needed. He curled his pointer finger in a brief flicker of Light, and the Kree’s body obeyed. 

Several things happened at once. 

A crackling blaster discharge—a whistle—a burst of yellow—a streak of red—and a small body's arching leap. 

When the moment passed, two bodies crumpled to the ground. The Kree slaver was one. His face was frozen in horror along with the arrow hole dead center of his forehead. 

The Xandarian child was the second. A glowing silver cartridge was lodged into the chest with small, yellow tendrils spreading out from it underneath the boy's skin. The street echoed with its tortured howls. 

Yondu dropped to his knees at the writhing child’s side. 

_“KRAGLIN!”_

A wave of satisfied relief relaxed Ego’s shoulders. The negotiations were progressing better than expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are the effects of a Thromedinen Burst? You'll have to wait and see! If you want a hint and aren't grossed out by parasites or blood vessel disorders, check out _Dracunculus medinensis_ and erythromelalgia. I came up with the weapon's name by things that sort of helped describe the effect.


End file.
